Deadly Mi-17 crash near Muzaffarabad adds tension amid security crackdown and looming protests.
A Pakistani Army aviation helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday after reportedly developing a technical fault during takeoff, the military said.
According to the military’s media wing, the Mi-17 helicopter went down shortly after takeoff, and there were no survivors among those on board.
The army said all personnel aboard were killed in the crash, describing them as having embraced martyrdom. It did not immediately disclose the exact number of fatalities.
The incident comes at a tense time in Muzaffarabad, where a heavy security presence has been deployed in recent days. The heightened alert follows plans by members of a protest movement to hold demonstrations after the local government banned the group under anti-terror laws.
Authorities have not yet released further details on the technical fault, the identities of the victims, or whether a formal aviation investigation has been opened.
